Power Rangers Zombies
by Stark Bane
Summary: The long hard fight against evil finally over, Rangers welcomed a new age of peace. Now, beset by the very people they had sworn to protect, it is a dark world for the Power Rangers. A world of Power Rangers Zombies.
1. Angel Grave

_**Their mission was over. The long hard fight against evil finally over, Rangers across the known galaxy had welcomed a new age of peace. But evil has a funny way of showing back up. Now, beset by the very people they had sworn to protect, it is a dark world for the Power Rangers. This is the world of Power Rangers Zombies.**_

* * *

**Chapter One**

It was always just one noise. One out of place sound and Angel Grove turned from a peaceful place to hell.

Today was no different.

Tommy stealthily walked slowly down the wide alley. An all too familiar curved blade with a white tiger carved into the hilt in one hand, a desert eagle pistol in the other. It was the easiest way to protect himself from an attack. Out in the open was the new strategy. Enclosed close quarters battles got you killed. It had been three months since the dead began to rise. At first, no one could believe it. It wasn't something that happened. Evil alien tyrants and 100-foot tall monsters created from dark magic and technology were one thing, sure. But the next door neighbor becoming an almost unstoppable walking nightmare with the purpose of devouring flesh and eating brains, just wasn't something anybody was ready for.

Which was probably why the Space Rangers, earth's current defenders, fell so quickly. Tommy had heard that one of them had been bitten in the initial outbreak. From there, it spread to the rest while sitting aboard the Astro Megaship. The crater where the ship had crashed was littered with debris and remains.

With earth's champions gone, everything crumbled. The police were overrun, and whole cities began to feed the zombie's ranks. Parts of the government had begun to annex quarantine zones. Places where "important" people went to weather the storm. Completely abandoned by its government, the people changed into monsters close to zombies themselves. It was an "eat or be eaten" strategy for most.

It was for reason's like that that Tommy now armed himself accordingly. His battles with his fists and feet were mostly over.

His communicator went off in that ever familiar theme. Tommy cursed, his legs already in motion. How could he have been so stupid to not turn it to vibrate? He had seconds to higher ground. His legs began to pump fire as he cleared the alley.

"Tommy," came a faint whisper.

"Go ahead Billy," Tommy said between breaths. "Make it quick as I'm gonna have some company."

"Get to my house Tommy and hurry," he said the words matching his tone.

"It's going to take some time to detour my trail." Tommy grunted as he leapt over a fallen newsstand. Zombies relied on hearing and seeing their target, but for whatever reason could track a victim for almost a mile. Tommy assumed it was something in the olfactory, but he left the biology to Billy, he was specializing in paleontology before the outbreak.

"This is priority," Billy said. "Everyone is coming, the sooner the better.

Tommy pivoted hard, instinctively turning to the direction of Billy's. The whole team? That was a mistake and Billy should have known it. Bunching together didn't help the people still spread out across town trying to survive the undead plague. Without their powers, they were more in danger the more exposed. It just would take one gang with guns to do what six years of the nastiest aliens and their thousands of villains could never accomplish. Still, it had been almost two months since he had seen any of them so there was some joy from the thought. Tommy swore under his breath and reminded himself in the future to set his communicator to vibrate. Billy had never let any of the other rangers stay out of touch, continuing to rebuild the Morphing Grid after….. Zordon's death.

Zordon's death had that bittersweet effect on most people. It was a day that celebrated a great victory and a tragic loss. Tommy never let it show, but it hit him harder than most believed. Zordon was the first to trust Tommy after his betrayal, sharing his own life energy to sustain Tommy. He was like the father he had never had.

Lost in his thoughts he almost missed the zombie reaching out for him from around the corner of a building. The creature swung high which was lucky for Tommy. If it hadn't been within his direct level of eyesight, the zombie would have had him. He dove forward, folding the blade back against his own body, slashing the zombie across the thighs. Rolling through his momentum he stopped hard bringing Saba down against the back of the neck of the creature as it was still falling. He separated the head in one clean stroke.

Creature. That's what he had to call them to justify what he had to do. People didn't do this. Tommy had been sloppy, not with the kill, but in his alertness. How had the zombie even come that close to him? A power ranger?

Resuming his pace, he arrived in no time to a rundown house. The shingles were already coming apart and every window in the house was broken. A sign that only read "eet Home" hung haphazardly from the porch. The garage was eerily empty. Not that there wasn't a car in it, but that there were no tools, no loose pieces of trash or scattered leaves. Just completely empty.

It was the most beautiful sight Tommy could ask for.

He walked into the garage quietly lowering the door shut. He reached up pulling the emergency chain for the door's motor track and watched as the entire floor lowered into Billy's lab.

Billy looked up and smiled. Time had been more harsh on Billy than the other rangers. The months had ravaged Billy as he blamed himself for not discovering a cure or a weapon to combat their most deadly challenge ever. His physique had begun to show signs of much needed exercise. His hair was disheveled and it looked like he hadn't shave since day one of the outbreak. Still, he was family and the two embraced fiercely. Tommy made a mental note to grab some deodorant from a store the next time he came over.

"It's great to see you Tommy," Billy said warmly. "I had been getting lonely."

Tommy smiled in return and looked back behind the former blue ranger, his gaze falling on several still very much alive zombies strapped to beds. "What about those guys?"

"They don't talk much and they're not that good at chess."

Together, they walked deeper into the lab. Billy was a pack rat, and in doing so became the de facto historian of the Power Rangers as well as their scientist and inventor. Souvenirs from particularly tough battles littered the walls in between beakers, scientific journals and circuit boards. Tommy stopped at something of particular interest.

"The Rad Bug," Tommy gleaned, running his hand over the hood. "I didn't know you still had this."

"You don't just sell something like the Rad Bug."

Tommy laughed, "no you trade it in for that mustang convertible."

Billy shrugged his shoulders and continued digging through a crate. "You're the last one here. The rest of the team is in the living room."

Tommy smirked because in reality all of Billy's "rooms" were just separated by bed sheets. He heard them laughing before he finally parted the curtains. Instantly the troubles of the world left him. For just a moment in time, he was back with his best friends, just like in high school. Friends forged with the ultimate compassion for one another.

Except it wasn't the same. Trini was gone. She had died in an unfortunate car accident long before this. Jason stood there, scars raking his body. In the first weeks, Jason had taken his battle directly to the zombies. With no powers he attacked anything that came at him, his own personal mission to save the world. After almost losing an eye and being dragged out by the rest of the team he came to his senses drenched in his own blood and taking on a whole new meaning as the red ranger.

Zack, his head shaved, sat there laughing. If anything he had been the most unchanged. Zack always had the right thing to say. It had come in handy during his "womanizing" in college. After the peace summit and with no ranger responsibilities, he took on football and became one of the fastest running backs to ever set foot on a football field.

Then there was Kimberly. Where should he start? America's poster child after taking home five gold medals in the last Olympics, she had spent her time since endorsing fitness products and donating to charity programs. Tommy always regretted…

"Will you go in so I can share the good news," Billy nudged him holding a large boxy device.

The movement startled Tommy pitching him into the center of the room. Kimberly was already up hugging him. "Hey you, we were just wondering when you would get here."

"Hey Tommy," Zack chimed in.

Jason just nodded.

Trying to break the awkward silence, Zack switched focus back to Billy. "So what's in the box?"

"Nothing," Billy said, pushing his glasses back up on his face. "It's going to help us find something that can end this menace to humanity once and for all."

"You found a cure Billy?" Kimberly asked.

Frustration filled Billy's face. "No," he said. There's no vaccine to prevent the spread and once someone gets infected. They still are very much dead. They just don't stay down. But, I did find something that will give us an edge in combat. With enough time and effort, we can take back our town, our planet the way we know how."

Jason smacked his hands together. "That's what I'm talking about Billy. What did you find for us?"

Billy, rattled by Jason's outburst recomposed himself. "Actually, it's not for you Jason. It's only for Tommy."

Tommy looked up, "I don't need any edge, I have Saba still."

"Saba is a formidable weapon Tommy, even if he has lost his… personality," Billy replied. The blade had gone silent after the destruction of the thunderzords becoming as normal a blade as it could be considered. Tommy had held onto it because it felt wrong to do otherwise. "I found something much better."

Billy crossed his arms, drinking in the curiosity and questions from his teammates. "Tommy, I found the Dragon Power Coin."

To Be Continued...


	2. The Road Less Travelled

Chapter 2: The Road Less Travelled.

"What good is that?" Disbelief coursed through Tommy as he asked the same question that was on every ranger's mind. "The powers are gone."

"Wrong," Billy said, swiveling on his bar stool to study the faces of his concerned team. "The dynamic plasmas that were linked to your deoxyribonucleic acid have been nullified allowing you full synchronization."

The rangers looked at each other, then at Billy, then back at each other. Trini had always been the missing link to gap the space between Billy's brilliance and the ranger's reasoning. Exasperated, Billy sighed before trying again. "With Rita's evil purged, the magic she used to curse your powers has been lifted. There is no longer a power drain on the coin."

Jason stepped in first, catching on to where Billy was going. "Ok so Tommy can morph? Big deal." He fished for something in his pocket, a badly scarred gold coin. An embossed tyrranasouras filled the coin. "I've kept this ever since Rocky gave it back to me, and it's worth NOTHING," he stressed the final words. "Does anyone remember it almost killed Adam when he tried to morph. The Morphing Grid is too unstable."

Billy mustered back in. "No, it is not unstable, it is working perfectly fine. Adam almost died because his like our coins were damaged the last time we used them. They don't regulate the flow of power to the user and can have fatal repercussions. Besides, the Grid isn't something that can be destroyed. It's a field of good energy that gives us our powers."

"Like the Force," Zack chimed in. Everyone stared at him. "You know, like in Star Wars. It draws on all life and all that jazz."

"Kind of," Billy agreed. "Except it has nothing to do with life, otherwise right now that would be a serious issue for the Grid. It's more concentrated on the positive ac-"

"Fine, we get it," Jason interrupted. "So how is it that Tommy can morph and I can't?"

"Tommy's coin isn't damaged," Billy resumed. "Originally it ran on Rita's dark magic, but with that gone, we can reconnect Tommy to the Morphing Grid."

"So we get his powers back and then what," Kimberly asked smacking her lips together. "I mean one ranger versus four billion zombies?"

"Who said anything about just one ranger?" Billy smirked.

"You can get us back our powers," Jason asked.

"I can't guarantee anything," Billy said, raising his arms into the air. "But I think I can use the Dragon Coin to trickle feed power back into the other five coins to repair them."

Kimberly looked across the room, "Billy, there are only five us now. We don't have Trini, remember?"

All the rangers hung their heads, it was a stupid comment to make, even for Kim. Of course Billy knew, she was closest to him after all.

He pushed the glasses back on to his face. "I understand that, but the coins operate in tandem of each other so if I can restore one, I can restore them all. Besides, we'll need all the help we can get." He clenched his fists against his legs, the skin tightening even whiter. "For starters, we only have three coins in this room and I still have too much negative proton energy to morph again. "

Tommy had almost forgotten. During their time fighting Master Vile, Billy-already rangerless- had been caught in the explosion in the Command Center. As a result his body was filled with negative proton energy preventing him from reconnecting to the morphing grid. As an extra bonus, his body had begun aging rapidly and he had to be taken to Aquitar to under go treatments in their Eternal Falls rendering him immortal. The only reason Billy had returned in the first place was that his wife, Cestria, had been slain in the final days of destruction before Zordon's death.

"Plus," Billy added. "Adam still has the Mastadon coin so we need to find him. His last report was that he was shoring up the defenses in a town called Reefside. Adding him into the mix gives us five. Aisha still has the Sabertooth coin which puts her in Africa, one of the hotter spots of zombie activity."

"Wait a second," Zack spoke up. "If we are recruiting Adam, that means two Black rangers. How does that work?"

"You'll have to take up the Triceratops power," Billy chuckled.

"What," Zack choked. "Adam should have to."

Jason folded his arms smiling for the first time in a long while. "Why is that?"

Zack raised his arm and began pinching his skin. "See? Black guy equals Black Ranger."

"That's not fair," Tommy giggled. "Adam's already been plenty of different colors anyways. Now it's your turn. What's so wrong with blue," he asked his eyes tracking back to Billy.

"Nothing I guess" Zack said trying to not offend the former blue ranger. Tommy had put him in that rough spot on purpose.

"It will be easier to transfer the powers that way," Billy added.

"Besides," Kimberly laughed. "You'd look great in blue."

"And the Power Lance gives you the best range to fight the Z's with," Tommy added. Originally the Z's had been Lord Zedd's personal putty patrol. Now the name took on a whole new meaning.

Tommy punched his fist into his open hand as euphoria washed over him. Not only was he going to get his powers back, but he was finally going to be able to turn the tide of darkness that had swept across his home.

"So what are we waiting for," Tommy asked impatiently. "Let's go do this."

"I agree," Billy answered. "The satellite connections I've tapped to triangulate the coin are failing quickly, I have a general location, but it could be months before we have this opportunity again. As it is, it would take us weeks on foot to get there."

"That's not fast enough," Tommy said.

"You're right," Billy replied. "We'll have to use the RADBUG."

"I thought the RADBUG was our emergency plan," Kimberly added. "You said there's only enough energy for one or two more flights."

"You're right Kim," Billy said. "But we are coming to the end of the line here guys. Total projections for infection are reaching 80% of the global population. If we are going to do something,we have to do it quickly. As we stand we aren't doing much more than surviving, which to me isn't the same as living."

"Billy's right," Jason said. "It's time we drew our line in the sand. Make our stand, even with only one power ranger, that still shifts the balance in our favor."

Silence washed over the group as they all thought of the ramifications of what would happen next.

"I'm in," Zack said, thrusting his fist into the center of the group. "It's not like I've got anything else better to do with my time."

Jason smiled as he returned the gesture adding his own fist. "Glad to see buddy."

One by one, the others joined hands, Tommy the final one. "Let's take back our planet."

The rangers broke, heading off to grab miscellaneous gear to cram in the RADBUG. They were ready quickly with weapons and rations packed when Billy walked out from behind a curtain..

"They aren't Ranger suits but they are the next best thing. They're a light Kevlar-composite blend. They have their weakness in the joist for flexibility and I haven't exactly field-tested the, but every edge counts right? Plus I even colored in the piping for nostalgia.

Each of the rangers grabbed their appropriate color and put them on.

"See," Zach cheered. "Black baby, that's what I'm talking about. I'm like a ninja in this thing."

Tommy deflected one of his mockful karate stances and laughed. "Enjoy it while you can because you know it won't last."

"Shotgun," Zack said.

"That's ok, I prefer a rifle myself," Billy said.

"No man," Zack said. "I got front seat."

Everyone laughed as the team pushed the RADBUG into position on the lift, raising the car back into the real garage. Everyone climbed in as Zack paused.

"Do you hear that," he asked.

"I do," Billy said.

The two climbed out from the front seats and went to the garage door opening peep holes to see out. In front of them was a sea of zombies.

"There must be hundreds out there," Zack said.

"They must have tracked one of us," Billy returned. "In the joy of the news, I got lazy and forgot to set the perimeter defenses.

They walked back to the car to tell the other rangers.

"Just run them down with the RADBUG," Jason suggested.

"That won't work," Billy answered back. "There are too many delicate electronics on the shell, if even one of them gets tweaked, we could veer off course or worse, just simply explode."  
"Then one of us has to be a decoy, and lead them off. Then get back to the car," Kim added.

Zack was the first to volunteer. "I'm the fastest person we got. I'll get them out of our way." He grabbed his two sawed off shot guns, pistols and axe and closed the door before the rangers could protest.

He slapped the button to the garage door and shook his body as if warming up. He looked back and gave a thumbs up before ducking under the door. Instantly they were on him. He unloaded both his shot guns forward blowing back a wall of undead. Dropping the guns he leaped through the hole he had created rolling to his feet and unsheathing his axe. The heavy weapon twirled around him as he danced through the zombies. Heads severed cleanly as his blade sliced through flesh and bone, it showed no hesitation. Finally seeing an open lane, he darted through, rounding the corner and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Hey you boneheads, follow me!"

They watched Zack round the corner hearing him lure the zombies away. Slowly they turned to follow their assailant until all were out of sight.

"OK, go go go," Kim hurried.

"Right," Billy said, turning the ignition. Nothing happened.

"What's wrong," Jason asked.

"I don't know," Billy stuttered. "The energy flow is disrupted." He tried to turn the car again. He was greeted with the same choking response.

"I have to flush the current capacitor load," Billy said. "It must have frozen the system. It's going to take at least 45 seconds for a new charge to build."

"Just do it," Jason said, climbing out of the back seat and stepping outside of the car. "I'll cover you guys.

Seconds later Zack, was rounding the opposite corner, his lap completed. "They're all over the place," he said between gasping breaths. "Let' go."

"We can't," Jason said checking the safety off his rifle and raising the sight. "Not yet at least."

"Man, this figures, can't we ever catch a break?" He unholstered his pistol. A few zombies began trickling in, those that saw Zack on his initial run and not a part of the main group. They went down fast and efficiently before their guns.

"We're going to get boxed in again," Zack said. "We need to get the RADBUG out on the main street so at least it can maneuver."

"You're right, you push the car, I'll stall them," Jason said.

Zack placed a hand on his friends forearm. "Jason, you're stronger than me, you need to push the car." Their eyes met, conveying what was really being said better than their mouths.

They broke and Zack was off in a flash. He turned back to smile and yelled, "Besides, the black guy always goes first, wouldn't want to ruin that now."

He vanished back around the corner and Jason went to work. "Put the car in neutral Billy!" He pushed with all his strength. The RADBUG was heavier than it looked. Finally on the street, he looked back to see Zack locked in battle, zombies clawing all around him. He raised his rifle, aiming for zombies in the further ranks rather than risk hitting Zack.

Tears of anger fell as fast as bullets breached the rifle.

Finally the RADBUG, started with a soft rumble. Jason Retreated back and climbed in closing the door.

"Where's Zack," Tommy asked.

"He didn't make it," Jason grumbled. "Billy go."

"What," Kim screamed. She turned back in her seat to look out the window. "We have to get him. We have to save him."

"Kim," Jason yelled within the tiny confines of the car. "We can't."

Kim continued to look back finally seeing Zack's axe swath through another group of zombies. She smiled, hope filling inside her. _That's right Zack you're almost free. Just keep fighting. _Finally, a hole opened and for a moment, she could see the Black Ranger, the armor peeling off him. A zombie knocked him down landing him on one knee and using his axe as a brace. He looked up one last time, directly at her and smiled as the gap plugged back up with undead.

"No! Zack!" Kim struggled with her seatbelt. "Get me out of this car I can save him."

A large explosion resonated behind them before anyone could argue. Kim looked back to see a crater where she had just seen her friend moments before. Pieces of zombies flung everywhere.

"Zack," Tommy whispered.

"Billy, get us out of here," Jason ordered somberly.

The RADBUG lifted off in the dusk flying out of the city as the moans of zombies replaced with stifled tears.


	3. Today is a Good Day to Die Again

Chapter 3: Today is a Good Day to Die Again.

Billy settled the RADBUG down a mile out from town in an abandoned barn. Losing Zack had taken a somber toll on the remaining rangers. They had continued trying to hail him, but every time, the communicator just beeped back a negative response. Every one of them had known the risks. It was part of the job description.

Still, it didn't make the loss any more manageable.

The team wanted to land closer to the site, but the noise would attract too many zombies lurking around or tempt surviving citizens in the city proper. Everyone, or at least everyone except Jason, wanted to avoid a fight if possible.

The team loaded weapons, strapping extra clips of ammo to their body and securing rifles and pistols. They were all suppressed. The loud noise of gunfire would just attract more zombies in a firefight. Kimberly slowly and methodically latched a quiver and bow across her back. The Olympic archer had a distaste for guns. She was just as deadly with her bow, thanks to years of practice. If overwhelmed, the bow itself had two sharpened edges to cut through any zombie in a brawl.

Tommy, whose perimeter watch was over, sheathed Saba as Jason stalked forward to the front doors. Dawn's light had just begun creeping over the horizon, piercing through the cracks of the barn. Even for veterans of combat like the Power Rangers, traveling at night was suicidal. Zombies could be virtually anywhere, from hiding behind doors to still sitting in the cars they died in or just laying on the ground waiting for a victim to trip over them. No, in the war against the undead, daylight was the best ally to ask for.

"We should get moving," Jason said. "I'll be on point, Billy follow close behind me. Kim and Tommy, cover our flanks."

Billy, donned in his ceremonial Aquitarian armor, stepped into formation. The armor was a flat blue which covered him from head to know like a medieval knight. The helmet had been made to resemble a fearsome triceratops. While it wasn't as encumber some as it might suggest, it wasn't always combat effective. Still, it was a gift from his wife, and one he wouldn't stop using anytime soon. He strapped the antenna box to his waist, adjusting dials and knobs until getting the reading he was looking for.

"It's about four miles north," he said adjusting knobs on the large antenna box strapped to his waist.

"Alright," Jason said. He unslung his rifle, raising it to his armpit. "Back to action."

Everyone choked at his choice of words. It was just something that had been said so often in their ranger days that it had been ingrained in every one of them.

They walked at a manageable pace. Staying on a dirt road that would let them avoid the tall fields of dry grass that blanketed the rest of the region. Occasionally they would see a wandering zombie and Kimberly would always put the creature out of its misery from a maximum range. Her arrows always found their mark.

There were few buildings between the barn and the location of the coin. These were always the biggest problem because it would require more time to carefully search the complex for any zombies. Just one zombie left behind could alert entire hordes roaming miles away with its moan. Billy had yet to discover the science behind how this happened, so they weren't taking chances.

In one particular instance as they checked a farmhouse, Billy got ambushed by a small zombie who had been hiding in a pantry closet. A child before becoming infected, Billy couldn't bring himself to kill it. The zombie had actually knocked Billy to the ground and continued to bang and bite on the Aquitar armor until finally a swift sword stroke from Jason decapitated the zombie kid. Its head fell into Billy's lap.

"Thanks Jason," Billy breathed.

"You're lucky that was a child, a bigger one would have already had you, you can't make mistakes like that."

Billy hung his head in shame. Kimberly overheard the berating and came into the room grabbing Billy by the forearm and hoisting him up. "Hey it's ok. Everyone's on edge. Let's just get this done ok?"

Billy wiped the dark mucus-type blood off his armor. It stained parts where armor met tunic. "Thanks Kim," he boomed through the helmet.

They continued on, deciding to avoid the main streets of town where larger groups of zombies would be. They skirted the edges until they found themselves in an old worn down grave yard where grass grew as tall as the tombstones.

"Wow, this just figures," Kimberly said. Gross disdain washed across her face.

Billy stepped forward adjusting dials until raising a finger. "It's in that direction."

The rangers fanned out in wide semi as Billy snaked their party past stone after unmarked stone. They finally came to a stop at a grave with where the only indication it was a grave at all was the remains of a broken stick, probably a cross, sticking from the ground.

"We're here," Billy said. He put down the device and grabbed a spade from the back of his pack. The other rangers followed suit. Minutes passed as dirt was dug from the site. A couple of feet down and only Jason and Tommy could still fit as they flung earth away from the grave. Finally, Tommy's shovel reverberated back as he struck something hard. He knelt down wiping dirt until he found the outlines of a coffin. A large lightning bolt was engraved in the top.

"I found it," he yelled up to his other teammates. Before he could say anything else, Jason's hand was there muffling Tommy's sounds while dropping pieces of dirt in his mouth.

"You idiot, keep quiet," he whispered. Together in silence they listened for signs of their discovery. Seconds bled into minutes, before the tension began to ease. Before Tommy could apologize, Jason turned to wipe the remaining dirt from the coffin. The two of them tried to find a panel to lift up, but the coffin was seamless.

"Billy," Jason whispered as loud as he dared. "We found the coffin, but we can't open it."

The blue ranger dipped over the edge, his ceremonial mask's lights suddenly flashing between different colors.

"I've analyzed the coffin," Billy said. "It appears to be a kind of security measure. Zordon must not have wanted anyone to ever discover Tom's secret. The lightning bolt is the key and only responds to a ranger's energy."

Tommy knelt back down and studied the bolt. The bolt didn't match the ends of their contact points. Taking his fingers he began rotating the symbol until it lined up, clicking in with satisfaction and then sliding back into the depression. A jet of compressed air blew out, blasting the two rangers before a loud metal grinding sound screeched in protest as the coffin lid began to slowly lift. It was painfully slow.

"Quiet down there," Billy said. But it was too late. Moans began wailing from towards the city. "Guys, we've got trouble."

Jason and Tommy scrambled back up the hole as Kim knocked an arrow. At first only a few zombies could be seen, but before long a large group began dragging their bloated corpses steadily forward. Kim began loosing arrows into the larger growing army of Z's now marching from the city. Jason began laying out all of the teams firearms, locking clips into each of the weapons, loading chambers and checking safeties off.

"Wait until I tell you to open fire," Jason barked. "Spare ammunition is directly in front, but make your shots count. Torsos only, no cowboy headshot crap."

Tommy took in his surroundings. He noticed it had begun to rain. On any other day, in any other moment, Tommy would have welcomed the rain. All he could think about was how it was the last rain he might ever see.

The men knelt into position, squaring rifles to their shoulders as Kim continued to fire arrow after arrow into the oncoming horde. As they crept closer, she changed her arc, the arrows shooting on a straighter velocity that would pierce through her first target and embed in a second or sometimes third target.

It still wasn't enough.

"Here they come," Jason yelled. "Open up!"

Simultaneously, the three rangers unloaded round after round into the undead wave. Hundreds dropped within the first thirty seconds. Some lay still, but most picked themselves back up and carried on the attack.

"Billy, grenade" Jason said between reloading clips.

Using his suits amplified strength, Billy hurled a grenade right into the main body of zombies. An instant later, flaming bodies were strewn about, landing randomly across the field. Jason was already up on his feet running around putting final rounds in each of the carcasses' heads. Kim was out there as well, decapitating struggling survivors with the sharp edge of her bow and retrieving arrows from her earlier victims. At the outer perimeter, Jason paused. A second much larger wave was inbound.

"Billy, come up here and plant some mines, we've got more company coming," Jason said.

Tommy realized that it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed or out of ammunition. Once a zombie focused on a position, its cry could be heard for tens of miles.

"Jason, I'm going for the coffin," he said.

He ran back to the dig site landing on the now fully exposed coffin. Tommy shrieked in horror as he looked on his own self only partially decomposed. He had been ready to see a skeleton, but not a half flesh half muscle and very wet corpse. The airtight compartment had slowed down the decomposition.

Tommy nausea faded as he looked at the Dragon coin hanging off his neck. He reached for it, his fingers sliding across the coins cool metallic surface. Just as his fingers found purchase, the corpse's eyes shot open, a bony hand reaching out for Tommy's own wrist. Tommy pulled back hard, bringing the corpse with him. Its mouth, gaping wide open, snapped back and forth trying for anywhere on Tommy to bite.

"Guys," he screamed in genuine horror. "This things still alive watch out."

As if on cue, fists began punching through the earth around the topside rangers.

"I told you guys this was a bad idea," Kim said shooting a zombie practically point blank in the face before slicing through another ones torso.

"Get back," Jason said diving for another rifle and rolling into a kneel. He fired both from the hip, the impact of the bullets driving his pursuers back. Billy, was patiently retreating, his rifle's barrel red-hot. Finally out of ammo, he hurled the gun forward and drew his ceremonial sabers. Swords crisscrossed, he charged forward.

"Hurry Tommy," his voice boomed across the graveyard.

Tommy put his foot on his dead clone's torso and pushed. Tom's grip broke at his already deteriorated wrist and he bounced hard against the back wall of the hole. This time Tommy was reading, swinging the spade like a sword into the clavicle of his former friend. The shovels sharp strike almost completely bisected the zombie, but still it surged forward.

With the spade stuck halfway inside his opponent, there was little left to fight back with in the narrow confines of the grave. He dodged the zombie's swings and blocked its bites. His back to the wall, and kicking to keep him at bay, Tommy reached up from above and found the spike that served as the graves marker. Using all his strength, he ripped it from the ground and brought it swinging down through the top of Tom's head. The zombie instantly went stiff and almost comically just stared blankly back before finally slumping back into the coffin.

Tommy flipped the re-dead corpse over to grab the coin. In the struggle the chain had broken, the coin sitting somewhere in the wet dirt at his feet. He dropped to his knees, frantic to find it. _Hang on guys._

Kimberly twirled this way and that, the end blades of her bow finding new enemies to cut every few seconds. She would duck one, cut the hamstrings to bring them low and then decapitate. Rend, cripple and decapitate: her recipe for death.

She sliced through another attackers forearms before delivering a kick that sent the zombie reeling back. A zombie came at her from behind landing squarely on her back. She tried to shake her attacker, but the grass became slippery, whether from spilled blood or the rain, she wasn't sure. She could hear the guttural sounds looming on the back of her neck. Rather then fight it, she went limp and threw herself into a spin that sent the zombie speeding to the ground with Kim driving her lithe frame into it. She pulled a knife from her boot and in an instant rammed it straight through the zombie's skull.

Before she could roll free, two more of the creatures were on her. She kicked and screamed, but couldn't break free from the creatures. Jaws snapped trying to find a place on her bare skin to break flesh and devour her, but she struggled more, shrimping this way and that. Finally one of the zombie had her by her ankle, raising it to his mouth. Kimberly tried to twist free, but was only rewarded with a twisted ankle, the injury still trapped in its supernatural grip. The zombie leaned forward to bite. Just as its teeth touched skin, the zombie's head exploded outward, showering Kim's leg in gore and pieces of bone. With the now freed leg she side kicked the other zombie in the head hard, coming down with all of her force, shattering the zombies skull and breaking its neck.

Looking to her left she tracked where her help had come from and could see Jason hard at work, putting round after round into oncoming Zs. He slung one rifle behind his back, taking time to put each bullet on its mark. Flash after muzzle flash dropped zombie after zombie, and still they came. A zombie, downed earlier, came slithering up grabbing Jason by his ankle. If not for his padded boots, the zombie would have already raked angry scratches across him, but Jason was ready, kicking out with his free leg sending another zombie spinning as he landed on the ground his main threat now squarely between his legs. A he fired up at another looming zombie, Jason raised his free boot and came down hard, flattening the skull.

He rose, brandishing the now emptied rifle as club and swung madly. He no longer cared; this wasn't about power rangers or good and evil. This was about humanity's survival. He looked to his left and saw Billy overwhelmed. His armor was holding out, but Jason knew it wouldn't last. He ran forward drawing two pistols from their holsters. They were heavy, but felt good in his hand. He aimed, careful not to hit Billy until the magazines were empty. Rather than reload he grabbed the next of each of his spare pistols and jumped pirouetting over the top of zombies before landing next to Billy their backs to each other. Swords crossed and guns belched defiance. Zombies died again.

Jason dropped his hand down to grab a clip from his belt. Pain raked his hand and lanced up his arm as he looked in horror to see a zombie with only half a torso clamp down on his hand.

"It got me," Jason cried out unloading an entire clip into the zombies now-pulpish face. "It bit me Billy," his eyes tracking to the blood squirting from his hand. He dropped the gun from his hand, his eyes washed with clear understanding. "Do it," his voice serene for the first time since the outbreak. "Don't let me turn."

The rhinoceros helmet offered him a cold gesture, before its owner finally understood what he was asked to do. Jason tilted his head up offering a clean stab. But the swordsman did not swing high. Instead he flipped the blade and came low cutting through the forearm and severing the Red Ranger from his former left hand.

Stars exploded in Jason's eyes as he felt what could only be described as sticking his hand in lava. Darkness crept on his vision threatening to choke the light out. It became hard to breath.

"Do not pass out Jason. Infection isn't that quick," the external speakers boomed. He grabbed something from his own pack. It was a thick jelly substance. He spread it across Jason's stub. Tears were flowing from his eyes as he screamed in agony. Finally, the pain subsided. Billy handed one his swords to Jason, staggering as he lifted himself back up.

"No," he said brandishing his own sleek katana from behind his back. "I have my own."

Jason smiled, but it was demented. It wasn't the Jason Billy had ever seen. It scared him more than the zombies did.

"Oh my God," Kimberly said running up their side. "Jason are you OK?"

Jason's smile dissipated, replaced with his cold rage. "I'm fine, which is more than I can say for them."

Their eyes turned out to the semi-circle group of zombies creeping at them.

"They don't know when to stop," Kimberly said.

"Neither should we," Jason chimed in.

"Well, all it's been fun. Any last words," Billy asked.

"Yeah, I've got some," Tommy said, emerging behind them with a blood-stained morpher. "It's Morphin Time!"

No sooner were the words spoken, then a green lightning bolt cascaded to the ground washing the area in a green light.

"You did your part," the Green Ranger said. "Now it's my turn."

He sprang forward grabbing Saba from the weapons pile along the way. Saba in one hand, Dragon Dagger in the other, he sliced and cut his way into the zombie ranks. One after one they fell, a quick stab here, another there. As he worked his way into the heart of the group, he began to slow up. There wasn't as much room. Punch after gauntlet punch, zombies crumpled from Tommy's blows. Finally at one point a zombie tripped him up, felling him to one knee. He continuing lashed out separating legs from their owners with every swing, but they overwhelmed him. Dog-piled, he was pressed down, the harmless scrapes and attempts to bite finally beginning to worry him. There were so many fingers scratching at his helmet he was worried they would catch the release on his helmet.

"Enough is enough," he yelled. Green energy pooled in the center of his chest until a small sphere was coiled tightly. With a smile, he triggered the detonation as green energy expanded outward. Those closest were instantly incinerated. Others were blown apart while even more were flung outward only to hit trees, or break apart when they discovered the ground again.

The Green Ranger recovered, standing up and retrieving his swords.

"Not bad," chuckled Jason. "With all that gore on you, you look very… Christmasy."

No one said anything at first, but then Kim finally chuckled. From there, it was a chorus of laughter.

The laughter didn't stop until Jason fell to the floor. Billy was there in an instant. "He's exhausted and has probably burned up his adrenaline. We got what we came for, we should get going."

Tommy hefted Jason over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He was grateful that the suit augmented his strength. "You're right. This isn't our fight, for now."

Kimberly smiled one last time thinking that this was the turning point in the war. Everything would be better now. She retrieved a few more arrows, but as she did so she could swear that she saw one last zombie, not chasing them, but just standing on the distant hill. As if he wasn't interested. She took a few more steps before looking back, but it was already gone.

A zombie in tattered military fatigues walked back down the hill. Its speed and mannerism was much different from that of the others it walked passed. It finally came to a halt in front of chair where a cloaked individual sat taking in the surroundings as if bored.

"Well," the hooded figure asked.

"They indeed found the sixth power coin as you suspected," the zombie replied in a raspy voice. "The red one was almost destroyed, but he will survive." The zombie paused then continued. "I don't understand why you did not let us finish them off now, they only grow in strength as we wait."

The hooded figure was up on his feet and in front of the zombie faster than the human eye could track. "Which is precisely why those decisions are not up to you. We need all the coins for a very specific purpose. The only way to get them, is to let those power punks find them for us. They pose no extra threat. Now go, I grow tiresome."

With a flick of the wrist the zombie disappeared, teleported out of sight. The hooded figure sat back to his throne and turned to his left, studying the figure to his left.

"It's so hard to find good help these days, they're either incompetent, they question everything, or worse. Both." He studied the figure, "You'd be wise to not mimic that one."

The figure turned, to reply, the only part visible an exposed jawbone with very few pieces of old sinewy flesh still attached. The bare teeth separated in what could only be guessed as a smile.

"As you wish."


	4. The Enemy of my Zombie is still an Enemy

"We're not going to make it," Kimberly screamed.

"We'll make it," Tommy lied reassuringly. The RADBUG was losing speed and altitude quickly.

"There isn't enough energy left from the flush earlier," Billy quickly reported.

"So where does that leave us," Tommy asked.

"We'll have to abandon ship."

Tommy looked back at Jason lying unconscious in the corner. He was sweating and

Billy had said his body was fighting off the infection as one might a fever. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Billy, can I pump morphin grid energy into the RADBUG," Tommy asked.

"You could, if I had some sort of receiver to absorb the energy, maybe if we used the cigarette lighter-"

"Skyscraper," Kimberly shouted.

Billy pulled hard on the controls, but the RADBUG responded sluggishly. At the last second it rose. It wouldn't be fast enough. The rear passenger tired clipped the corner of the building sending the RADBUG into a spin.

Instantly everyone was slammed into their harnesses as the RADBUG spiraled and plunged to the ground.

"Tommy," Billy yelled. "The red button in the ceiling console."

Tommy looked up and saw the button. He tried reaching for it, but the inertia kept his hands at bay. The button might as well have been a hundred miles away. He looked at his teammates and the terror in their eyes. _I can do this. _He reached for it again. His hand slowly rose only inches at first, until he finally had his hand fully extended. The button was a hair width away, his hand trembling fiercely. _I will do this!_ He lunged forward and pushed the button.

The car shuddered as a loud sound came from above. Everyone flew forward, their harnesses digging deep into their armpits as their descent came to an abrupt halt. Tommy rolled the window down to take a look outside. Large parachutes hung above as the RADBUG gently descended. Buildings began casting shadows over the car as they plummeted deeper down. The car bumped softly to the ground and Tommy tried to get out, but the door was jammed.

"Oh my apologies," Billy said. He cranked a hand lever while a hissing came out.

Tommy looked down to see a yellow raft tucking back into the under carriage. He looked back at Billy who just smiled.

"Water landing."

"Guys," Kimberly interrupted. "Jason's not looking too good."

"There's nothing I can do for him until we get him back to my lab."

Tommy opened the door and stepped outside to get a sense of bearings. "We're in the industrial center." He continued scanning around seeing several zombies heading their direction. None of the rangers had gone to inspect the industrial area when the war broke out. There were too many buildings to check for survivors and too many ways to get caught. It had been marked a death trap for good reason.

Tommy reached back grabbing his morpher. The grip felt good in his hands. He began thrusting it forward when a hand stopped him.

"We don't know how extended use will affect you, the morpher or the Grid," Billy said. He handed him a rifle. "Let's play it safe for now and just keep moving."

Before Tommy could protest, Kimberly knocked an arrow taking out the curious zombie.

"You're right," Tommy finally admitted.

Billy just smiled. "Help me make a gurney to get Jason mobile." They began creating a makeshift gurney when Kimberly called out. "I'm going to need some extra hands here."

The guys grabbed their rifles and sighted down the street. More and more zombies were beginning to emerge. Tommy guessed maybe fifty. They opened fire on the undead, slowly thinning their ranks. Tommy shifted uncomfortably. Was it just him or had some of these zombies already taken fire before? Not that that was terribly uncommon, when the outbreak started everyone tried to defend themselves. Sometimes you'd find a zombie with a cleaver stuck in their shoulder or a fire poker stuck through their abdomen.

All of these zombies had multiple wounds, missing limbs.

A noise came from behind and Tommy raised his rifle in time to catch a zombie's slashing attack. He batted it away throwing the zombie off balance before pumping a three-round burst through its skull. He looked up to see that his attacker was just the vanguard of a much larger group of zombies.

Billy turned to take in the same sight. "I think playing it safe can wait."

Tommy smiled and set the rifle down again going for his morpher. "It's Morphin Time!"

Green energy washed over him as his suit began to assimilate to him out of nothingness. His visor became a wash of information as the HUD of his suit listed off that his suit was complete and fully charged.

Tommy launched forward, drawing his Blade Blaster and switching it into blaster mode. He aimed and fired watching as zombies disintegrated from the blasts. He ducked under one zombie's flailing arms to blast it at point blank range. The energy cored through the undead blasting out its backside and dropping another zombie behind it. He began firing as quickly as he could find targets. Zombies fell to more and more shots. He shifted the blaster across his body and fired twice taking down three zombies.

He sighted another target, a decrepit old woman with stained pearls hanging down from what was once a neck. He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He pulled the trigger again. Again, he was greeted with nothing. He looked at the blaster. A light on the side of it he had never seen before was flashing red. It was either out of power or he had overloaded it. Tommy couldn't be sure, but he guessed the weapon had never been made for such extended use. He shifted the blaster, locking it into its blade mode and summoned his Dragon Dagger into his other hand. Extending his hands out as if trying to fly, he charged the group striking the dead woman first as pearls littered the floor.

Kimberly knocked arrow after arrow into her targets, but for every one she downed three more took its place. She danced her fingers gracefully across the fins in her quiver delicately grabbing one before arming her bow. She had only a few shots left.

"Billy, I'm going to need one of those rifles in a minute."

"Affirmative."

She let loose her last arrow locking her bow onto her quiver behind her and reaching for a rifle that sat atop the RADBUG. She looked into the distance to see Tommy methodically swathing large gaps into the ranks of undead and redirected her attention to where it mattered.

The rifle felt wrong in her hands. She had trained with them extensively since Z day, but never liked them. It was like brandishing a cudgel to do the work of a scalpel. She sighted a zombie and fired a couple three-round bursts that left a nasty scar trailing up her target until its head exploded. Barbaric maybe, but it got the job done. She fired quickly, dropping zombies closest before stabbing deeper into the pack at ones further back. They were still getting closer as both the former rangers fired as fast as bullets could breach their chambers. It wasn't long before Kimberly's arms burned. The rifle was an easy 20 pounds heavier and to keep her accuracy felt like trying to lift a truck. Finally she dropped to a knee to support the weight.

A zombie came close lunging with its arms. She swung the barrel around to catch the zombie in the neck and fired. Gore washed over her and she raised a pink handkerchief to her mouth to continue breathing. The smell was unbearable, but it always was. Another zombie loomed and Kimberly fired. Nothing happened. She had been counting her shots. She should have had ten more shots. She dumped the clip and slapped a new one in the rifle. Still nothing happened. _Jammed._

"Billy, pistol!"

From across the RADBUG, Billy instinctively threw the firearm her direction. She plucked it from the air and fired dropping her nearest six threats with six shots. She clicked the safety and tucked it into the back of her pants, redrawing her bow. She was out of arrows but felt more comfortable with her blades then taking chances. She stepped out putting distance between her and the RADBUG.

She fanned out along an arc that meant another death for any zombie stupid enough to try. She twirled and sliced as fast as she could, hindered by her injured ankle shaking the pain off. Sometimes she only dropped zombies to come back for the kill on her next pass. Bodies began stacking up and the air grew ripe with decay. A zombie, she had earlier thought felled, rose and went for the car. She pivoted hard turning back and dropping the bottom of her bow's blade across the back of its neck. The head severed clean and bounced off the window leaving a dark smeared trail of gore across the window of the RADBUG.

Her pace interrupted zombies poured into her defensive position. She planted her feet again twirling the blade, but there was too many. Billy shifted his position to help her, but it was only a matter of time before she would be overwhelmed. _I won't abandon my friends._ She lunged forward stabbing the bloated carcass of what had once been a fast food employee through the eye when a loud crack rang out followed by a blast of air. The hairs on her neck stood electrified as she turned back to see a zombie a mere foot behind her sag to the ground, its entire upper torso blown away.

She scanned the adjacent buildings, somewhere someone had a rather large caliber rifle that could do the same thing it had done to the zombie to her. However, there were too many openings and nooks for a shooter to hide. It was a sniper's paradise. More shots rang out and she thought she caught the glint of a rifle to her left maybe five stories up but couldn't tell. Whoever it was, they were good.

As if led by the rifle's song, suddenly armed men appeared from everywhere dropping zombies from behind. The men looked as dirty as the zombies but they charged forward, striking zombies before pumping a round or two into the fallen undead. Within minutes the area had been cleared up.

"Thanks," Billy said waving to one of the gunmen. "We thought we were goners."

A high-pitched laugh rang out as one of the men turned toward the voice, seeming like he had forgotten about them for a second.

"What makes you think you still aren't," the man asked laughing once more.

Instantly guns trained on the two rangers. A lot of guns. Kimberly dropped her bow slowly as Billy mirrored the same motion.

"We don't want any trouble, our friend is hurt and he needs medical attention," Kim pleaded.

"We don't want any trouble either," the mystery man said. He pulled his bandana down and pulled his goggles up, peering into the car to examine the injured Jason. He turned back to Kimberly. "All we want is your car, and maybe you pretty thing."

"You thugs can't have the girl or the car," Billy said, defiance in his tone.

"See I get told by the boss that he's seen a flying Volkswagen. Me, well I think maybe the boss might have been out in sun for a little longer than what's healthy. He bets me my bottle of finest alcohol on it and low and behold here I am at a loss. The car's for him, but this fine specimen will make a nice collateral prize for myself."

"I said no," Billy growled.

"And whose going to stop us," the man said laughing once more. He drew a large pistol, an old Magnum with a long barrel and aimed it at Kimberly before shifting it back to Billy. "You?"

Kim shifted her weight uncomfortably. She knew these men had no problem killing, and she wasn't about to let them get to Billy or Jason. She slowly moved for her pistol reaching back to draw it. She drew as fast as she could when a loud shot rang out causing her to stop, gun only midway out of her back. She closed her eyes frozen in panic. She didn't feel anything so she was either dead already or worse. _Had they gotten Billy?_ She cursed herself at being so foolish and then cursed herself more for being afraid. _You're a power ranger, Kim. Face your fears like one. _She opened her eyes, realizing she was staring at the ground. She raised her head slowly to see Billy standing there perfectly alive, but with blank stare as if something wasn't quite right. She turned her head tracking to where he was looking and saw a figure clad in green, gold and white standing a foot in front of her. A crushed bullet lay before his feet.

"Like the man said," the green ranger announced. "No one gets the girl or the car."

The laughing man stared at the green ranger with a sense of wonderment. It was like somewhere deep down a child was adoring his hero. The image quickly vanished as a thin smile and hard calculating eyes replaced his demeanor.

"Looky here boys," he shouted. "We've got ourselves a real hero. The green power ranger everybody." The gunmen started hooting and shouting in cadence with their leader. "One of the very people who swore to protect us and then vanished without a trace when we needed them the most!" He raised his gun at the green ranger's chest.

"I'm not going to fight you," Tommy said.

"That's good," the man said laughing. "We'd rather not fight a power ranger ourselves. Surrendering is a smart idea."

"You're going to surrender?"

"Oh no my green friend, it's you who will surrender." The man's barrel again shifted back to Billy. "Unless you think you can stop us all.

Tommy cursed under his breath. He couldn't risk his friends.

"You have five seconds."

As the countdown approached two, he spread his stance. "Power down."

No sooner had he powered down did men rush into bind the three rangers. The laughing man bent closer peering into Tommy's eyes and studying him intensely.

He then looked back to Kimberly and Billy before returning his gaze to Tommy.

"Tommy Oliver?"

Tommy turned concerned that this man knew his identity and tried to mask it, but it was too late. His mannerism betrayed him just as bad anything he could have said.

The man laughed and slapped his knee.

There was something about his laugh, something familiar. Before Tommy could figure out what it was, the butt of a gun came across his neck, plunging him into darkness.


	5. Tower of Terror

The Enemy of my Enemy is Still an Enemy.

Tommy awoke with a throbbing pain in the back of his skull. He gathered himself up and sat upright on the floor. The first thing he noticed were the chains bound across his wrist and ankles that tethered him to a steel beam behind him. He rattled them fiercely, testing the strength of his binds. They didn't bulge. He grunted and tried one more time only to be rewarded with the same result.

He studied the room. By what he could tell, it had once been an office floor before Z-day. Cubicle walls that had once created a labyrinth maze across the floor now lay flat against broken out windows. Debris littered the floor all around him. Tommy looked again. It wasn't debris, but random knick-knacks of junk strewn randomly in piles all around him. The kind of stuff people would see tacked to the walls in themed restaurants and bars.

Junk that was completely useless by today's standards.

Tommy continued to take in his surrounding and noticed a collection of bed sheets hanging from the ceiling as if someone had tried to drape them like the arching satins that belonged in some cathedral or royal court.

Before he could study them further his peripheral vision caught something moving to the side. He tracked the commotion to a shadowy corner. He leaned forward and strained his eyes to get a better look. Finally, he caught the glint of light reflecting off…

A zombie crawled forward out of the darkness startling Tommy to the point he backed up against the beam pressed firm. The zombie continued to advance forward clawing for Tommy's leg and the fresh meat it promised. Tommy kicked forward to deter the zombie. It stopped just short, chains wrapped around its torso pulled tight and digging into already deteriorating flesh. The chains looped around the creatures legs as if to limit its mobility.

"My pet," a voice said from the area of the drapes. Lights slowly grew in brightness illuminating a large man sitting in a giant basin as two beautiful and scantily clad women scrubbed him down with soap and water. The man's hairy back faced towards Tommy as he looked out the window to the chaotic view before him.

"You might know him Tommy," the figure roared. "Oh, yes? How do I know you? Or Billy, Jason and Kimberly that were with you? Take a closer look at my pet."

Tommy's gaze shifted back to the zombie trying to register any features that would give it away. The zombie's eyes were sunken back into dark sockets, one of its cheekbones was shattered, its prominent mustache was now full of gore and bits and had a very leathery and warn bald spot on top.

It wasn't until Tommy noticed what had been pinned to him. At first he thought it might have been a small rodent pelt, but before long, Tommy could make out the signs of a very warn toupee. This man's pet was Mr. Caplan.

A commotion erupted to the right and in through a doorway flew Billy crashing to the ground hard. A chained Kimberly protested her friend's treatment, but was just hauled over by her restraints. Tommy instinctively reached for his morpher, knowing his suit's augmented strength could easily break his binds. But his morpher wasn't there.

"Looking for this?" The laughing man from earlier said, twirling the morpher around his finger.

The team huddled together. "What do we do now," Kim asked.

But Tommy's gaze burned intensely on the larger man and the laughing man. Finally it clicked.

"I was wondering how you knew who we were," Tommy said. "It took me a while, but nothing is more memorable than a cackle like yours, Skull."

The larger man laughed. "He's actually Colonel Skull and he's my commander of the armed forces here."

Billy studied Skull intently, then looked at the larger man. "Bulk?"

Bulk stepped out of the tub, wrapped in a large towel. He clapped his hands mockingly. "Well done, you solved Blue's clues. Congratulations."

Tommy resisted his chains once more. "Why are you doing this? We're on the same side. We're friends."

"No I don't think so," Bulk said his slips parting into a wide smile that showed rotting teeth. "Friends don't keep secrets amongst themselves. Secrets like the fact that they were Power Rangers. Friends don't abandon each other like the way you did."

He turned picking up a glass filled with red liquid. "It's rather funny, how Skull and I looked for the identity of the power rangers for years, and yet they were right under our noses."

"Yeah," Skull chimed in. "Right under our noses."

"We didn't abandon you guys, when Z-day hit, we were just as scared and confused as you guys. We haven't had our powers in years. You've seen the different suits, other teams took on the responsibility."

"I always wondered about that," Bulk said. "Whether it was new people or the same veterans fighting new monster after new monster. Do you know what we did on Z-day? We grew up. Luckily, Skull's father was a bit of a gun nut, so we were able to arm ourselves pretty well. We found others, shored up this office building and cut the bottom floors out to make out own fortress. At first we struggled, losing people left and right." He paused and brandished a gold-plated AK-47. "But we made necessary sacrifices and grew strong. Strong enough that we don't even need help from the mighty power rangers."

"We've lost people too," Kim pleaded. "We've lost so many, from family and friends to fellow rangers."

"I don't care about what you've lost," Bulk replied. "I care about the people that depend on me to take care of them."

"So what do you want of us then," Billy asked.

"I'm glad you asked that. You're going to fix that flying car for us. And then you're going to make us Power Rangers."

Tommy laughed. "It doesn't work like that-"

"-in the sense that it would take time to transfer the powers," Billy interrupted. "I'll need the proper equipment and need to draw power off of our… flying car."

"Excellent," Bulk gleamed. "How long will this take you?"

"One second," he turned back to the team.

"What are you doing Billy," Kim asked. "He can't be a power ranger. He'll kill us when he finds outs."

"And if you tell him now, he'll kill us all the more sooner. I have no intention of making him a power ranger, but we need time to escape."

"I got ya," Tommy said. "How much time do we need?"

Billy spun back around to face Bulk. "A few days, maybe a week."

"You have three days. I suggest you get to work."

The prisoners gathered back up as Skull came and unchained Tommy. "Don't try any funny business," he said wedging the muzzle of his gun into Tommy's back. "We haven't fed Caplan in a while."

As they walked to the door, a man rushed in. "Yes Captain Stone," Bulk asked. The man slung a large sniper rifle over his shoulder. "Sir, we've spotted three young children heading our direction and being chased by a sizeable force of Z's."

"How old are they?"

"Spotters say they're around eleven years old."

"Too young. They would leach our supplies and offer us nothing in return, Leave them be."

"But they're children," Kim cried out. She looked into the eyes of Stone. She recognized this man and more importantly the large rifle. _He was the sniper in the window._ Stone. Where had she heard that name before? So many memories of the life she lived before Z-day were hard to recall. _Wasn't Stone the police academy training officer? Of course!_

"Please," she looked into his eyes.

''I'm sorry," he said, helplessness filled his eyes.

Tommy surged forward. "Let me do it then. Give me my morpher and I will save them. They can have my rations."

Skull buried the muzzle deeper into Tommy's back. "I don't remember saying you could talk."

Bulk clasped his hands together raising them to his mouth as if in thought. "And I don't remember promising a prisoner food. I don't see how giving a power ranger his powers back is good for me."

"You have it on my word that I won't retaliate. Use my friends as hostages if you feel uncomfortable. Besides, you have to keep me fed for the power transfer to work."

"He's right," Billy said.

"Skull, give him his morpher," Bulk said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Skull pushed Tommy forward hard, tripping him to the ground. He cocked the barrel of his hand cannon and aimed it at Kimberly's head before tossing the morpher to Tommy. "I'll be waiting for you to make a mistake."

Tommy caught the morpher and locked it into his hands. "I won't." He picked himself up, turned and ran, not for the door but the broken window. He leaped.

"He's on the 17th floor" Stone exclaimed.

"It's morphin' time!"

A familiar green lightning bolt descended through the sky and within seconds the Green Power Ranger touched down, sprinting towards the children.

"This will be fun to watch," Bulk said. He noticed the captain's uneasiness of Skull's methods. "Colonel, I believe we can still be civil here." Skull obediently lowered the weapon and Stone walked to the window where Tommy had jumped.

"How did he survive the fall," Stone asked.

"If there is anything I've learned about the Power Rangers," Bulk paused. "They are full of surprises."

Tommy was running as fast as his legs could carry him. The kids were only 100 yards away, their pursuit another hundred more. The kids looked exhausted. Their clothes were in tatters, and the youngest, a little girl was crying frantically. Tommy closed the gap and the children, recognizing a Power Ranger, stopped and jumped for joy.

Tommy thundered past them avoiding their outstretched hands.

"Keep going kids, safety's just a bit farther. I'll protect you."

The kids hesitated, not sure what to do, before they continued marching forward. Tommy came to a halt and summoned his Dragon Dagger. The undead had boxed themselves down the narrow confines of the streets creating the perfect killing corridor. He raised the Dragon Dagger to his helmet and played an old, familiar tune. Energy began collecting across his shield until the diamond in his chest pulsated. Fully charged he triggered the stored energy and a green sphere of coiled energy grew in front of him until he waved his dagger forward. A large bright blast cascaded forward annihilating hundreds of zombies caught directly in the beam. Hundreds more were blown to their respective lefts or rights hurled against buildings as windows shattered and entire broken down store fronts blew away.

Tommy dropped to a knee and clutched his chest, the blast draining him more than he had expected. Zombies began picking themselves back up to renew the hunt, tearing pinned limbs free that were crushed from debris. He stood once more and drew his bladeblaster. The zombies ranks had been decimated, but it only took one to get the kids.

He slowly backpedaled, picking off any zombie who got too eager. Quickly he heard one of the children screaming for help, he turned to see two of the kids buried in rubble. The concussion blast of his attack had blown them off course near a storefront that had collapsed on them. He raced to the little girl and lifted the rubble off her and analyzed her. His helmets HUD listed off injuries. The girl had a broken leg. That would definitely slow things down. He looked back at Bulk's Tower, no one was offering him any help today.

He looked at the oldest child, a boy. "What's your name son?"

"It-it's Brad sir."

"Well Brad, today you're going to prove you've got what it takes to be a power ranger. I need you to help this little girl over to that building. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'll try," Brad stammered.

Zombies had already surrounded them and were encroaching steadily. Tommy aimed for the ones closest to cutting them off and fired dropping three zombies for three shots.

"GO!"

Brad gathered the little girl up and they hobbled forward. The third girl was afraid to move.

Tommy stopped. He couldn't protect all three split up. He pivoted hard driving his dragon dagger though a zombies face before shooting another in the back as it tried to chase the fleeing children. He began firing faster trying to keep the zombies off of the kids trail. The Z's were closing the gap. The girl behind him shrieked. A zombie had come from out of the building behind them. With a clean swing of his blade, Tommy decapitated the zombie. Its head rolling to a stop in front of the girl.

_Kids aren't suppose to be exposed to this. _Another zombie came from behind and tommy stabbed hard in the gut. The zombie, still very much alive began clawing at the green ranger. Tommy swung his bladeblaster down hard onto the zombie caving its skull in. The zombie went limp on Tommy's arm pinning his dagger hand as he watched more Z's stagger forward. He tried to wriggle the blade free, but it had sunken deep and caught on the zombie's ribcage. He fired as fast as he dared picking off zombies that were mere feet away. Not getting anywhere with his dagger, he left it behind punching the zombie it was stuck in through its head. Gore covered his white glove as delivered punch and kick to near by threats while continuously shooting the trailing undead.

One zombie lurked right up behind Brad as tommy pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. The weapon had overheated again. He cursed and converted the hand weapon into its blade mode. He slashed at a zombie to his left before hurtling it at the zombie towering over Brad. The blade flew true sinking into the back of the zombies head dropping it to the ground.

There were still three more zombies chasing the kids and the little girl still wasn't moving. He knelt over to try and pick her up, but she refused to take his gore-stained hands. He grabbed her anyways under protest and ran for the kids. The zombies were too close. He wasn't going to make it. A zombie grabbed Brad's hood on his jacket and pulled him down dropping the two kids. There wasn't anything Tommy could do.

The zombies leaned in for their meal as three shots rang out. The three zombies dropped to the floor, their heads blown off as if someone had hit a watermelon with sledgehammer.

He tracked the trajectory of the bullets to the window where he had jumped from. Stone was there, lying prone on the floor, shutting his sniper canopy. He gave a thumbs up and smiled.


	6. The Worst Laid Plans

Tommy grabbed a wrench and heaved it across the room. It clanked off into a distant corner.

"Shh," Kimberly said putting a finger to lips. She patted Jason's head with a damp cloth. "You're not helping." She then checked on the three children. They were sound asleep.

Billy sat at a workbench studying charts. He pulled the goggles up from his face, a line of dirt showed from where they had been attached to long. "She's right Tommy, we need to stay calm and focused."

Tommy closed his eyes running his hands through his hair. It had been a week since they had arrived at Bulk's tower. Already four days overdue, their host had become extremely impatient. Bulk had the RADBUG and Tommy's morpher. Jason's fever hadn't broken yet and they were seriously underpowered to mount an escape with hundreds of armed soldiers manning the building.

"Any luck coming up with an escape plan," Tommy asked.

"Not really, I've been toying with the idea of repairing the RADBUG's flying circuits, but it would take longer than I'd like with these archaic tools. It's like asking a surgeon to perform open-heart surgery with a circular saw."

Tommy slapped his back reassuringly. "You'll think of something, you always do."

"I don't know this time. Bulk's operation is pretty secure. We might as well be in straight jackets."

"If magicians could vanish from strait jackets and the toughest traps, I know you can," Tommy laughed.

Billy swivled around. "What did you just say?"

"I said, If magicians-"

"Of course!"

Billy returned to his workbench, his hands flying across the surface drawing. "Why didn't I think of it sooner."

Tommy leaned in over Billy's hunched frame. He knew that whatever Billy's scribbles were they were going to get them free. "Is there anything I can do?"

Billy lost in his own thoughts and muttering to himself finally turned back around startling Tommy. "Yes," he smiled. "I need you're help with the RADBUG."

Minutes later, they had gotten permission to go down to the Bulk's motorpool and garage where the car was being stored.

"I don't get it, I thought you said the RADBUG wasn't going to help us," Tommy whispered while being ushered down a narrow hallway, Billy pressed shoulder to shoulder.

"Not here, I'll explain when we get down there."

They stepped inside an elevator face to face with their two guards. The men looked terrified.

"Hey Billy," Tommy chuckled. "These guys sure seem to be afraid of something, someone didn't tell them the Power Rangers are the good guys."

One of the guards cleared his throat as if to say something. Before he could, the elevator door opened and a man stepped. He was dressed lightly in a loose shirt and shorts with a towel wrapped around his neck. While the outfit was different, the face belonged to the unmistakable Captain Stone.

"Easy men," Stone said coolly. "Don't let these guys get to you, they might have once been Earth's greatest force, but just like everything else in this wasteland they're just a bunch of nothing these days."

"I don't get you Stone, you used to be a champion for doing things the right way," Tommy said. "What happened to you?"

Stone's eyes gazed fiercely into Tommy's. "The same thing that happened to everyone else. Our lives, our families were torn away from us. Everything changed. The rules were thrown right out the window." He paused, looking away briefly before returning his stare. "I'm not saying Bulk's way is right, or even the best, but it works. It's the closest thing to structure for 100 miles. If you don't like it, do something about it."

Tommy clenched his fists. "Maybe I will."

The elevator doors opened and Stone smiled. "Well I guess we'll see what happens when that day comes." He turned and sprinted off into the dimly lit garage.

The motor pool was enormous. All around sat cars and trucks in various states of disrepair. A red Ferrari sat parked in a spot designated "Employee of the Month." Tommy noticed it was the only car that wasn't covered in dust.

The guards split off to guard the elevator doors leaving the rangers to themselves. They walked down the rest of the bays seeing everything from tow trucks and buses to larger military vehicles. They paused at one nastier looking vehicle.

"Billy, is that a tank? How did Bulk get a tank?"

The former blue ranger raised his nose higher in the air studying the vehicle. "Technically it's a 6-wheeled tactical strike assault troop carrier. It looks amphibious too. Tanks in the traditional sense usually have treads and larger caliber turreted weapons."

Tommy let out a low whistle. "It makes the RADBUG look like a child's plaything by comparison."

Billy, visibly disturbed, grunted. "Well it can't fly now can it."

They walked down the rest of the bay towards where the RADBUG was parked. The car was banged up and severely dented. Grime and dirt covered it. Its front bumper hung off to one side, evidence of a violent tow. One would think it was a participant in a demolition derby.

Billy ran his hand down the now-dented hood of his car. A smile curled around his lips. His hands tracked to the door handle and he opened it leaning inside. Tommy did the same on his side.

"So what's the plan," Tommy eagerly asked.

Billy began reaching underneath the dashboard, pulling circuit board after circuit board. He finally smiled satisfied with one particular one. He looked around cautiously. "Escaping of course."

"I thought you said the RADBUG can't be fixed."

"It can't. Or at least not here."

Billy smiled him and told him the plan.

Several minutes passed until finally Billy and Tommy had hashed out the details. "It's crazy enough to work. Do you think it'll work?"

"I have no doubt that it will work, the unknown factor is Jason. He's still in bad condition."

Before they could finish, Stone jogged up. Sweat stained his shirt. "What are you two up to? I don't see you working."

"We were just discussing a disagreement over the best way to repair the car," Billy stammered.

"A likely story," Stone said between breaths. "You two," he yelled towards the guards. Instantly, the guards ran over.

"Yes sir," the guard asked shakily.

"Do you know what it means to be a guard?"

"Yes sir."

"Well it doesn't look that way to me. A guard WATCHES his prisoner. Understand?"

"Yes sir," the solider trained his weapon back on the rangers.

Billy collected the components and put them in a crate. Tommy turned to follow him. "No," he said. "I still need you to get the mechanical side of the car in working order." He looked back at the guards. "I have what I need and need to head back up to the work shop."

The guards shifted uneasy. They didn't like the idea of splitting up their detail.

Stone returned from another lap. "Relax," he said between heavy breaths. "I'll escort the prisoner back. Come on Cranston."

Tommy laughed to himself and began working on the rest of the plans Billy had begun to set in motion. He wasn't the most technologically sounded individual-his field was biology- but he was able to carry out Billy's detailed instructions after a few extra hours.

The hood to the RADBUG shut with a satisfying click as Tommy wiped the last oil stains off his hands with a rag. "Alright boys," he shouted gathering up his tools and spare parts. "I'm ready when you are."

The guards straightened up grabbing their rifles and fell in behind him as they marched to the elevator. They got to the doors and as Tommy pressed the button, a clanking came from behind them. Instantly, the guards spun raising their rifles to the ready, but could find nothing in the dimly lit cavern.

Suddenly, a black clad figure dropped between the guards and Tommy, instantly tazing the guard to the right dropping him to ground and convulsing violently. The second guard was quicker and turned back around in time to block the tazer. The assassin pivoted planting a kick into his abdomen. The guard heaved over dropping the rifle.

The assassin didn't give the mercenary the chance to recover as he leapt forward delivering a flying punch that connected squarely to the jaw sending the man spinning to the ground.

Tommy dropped his box, diving for the gun bringing up as he rolled through the position. He sighted on the black clad figure.

The figure slowed and stood, fully erect. His hands were out from his body, but it was hard to see them in the poor light. Tommy had seen the guys speed and knew better.

"Don't move. I don't know what your intentions are, but I have friends as hostages upstairs."

From the right came another sound and Tommy turned to react. It was all the time the man in black needed. Tommy tried to swing the rifle back around but it was bat aside as a right hook threatened to do serious damage to his face.

Tommy dropped the gun and flipped backwards, the punch missing by just inches. He followed through with the flip delivering a snap kick up into his attacker's head. The assassin must have seen it to as he tried to flip away lessoning the impact of the kick. Tommy came down hard through the rotation ready to sprint forward only to see assassin's leg already sweeping wide to take him out at the knees.

The kick caught him soundly and Tommy dropped like a sack of marbles. Not ready to give up Tommy rolled avoiding stomp after stomp until finally scissoring his way through the tumble to take the assassin down with him.

Both of them rolled clean of the entanglement rising back up to square off once again.

"You're good," Tommy said, adrenaline running through him.

The man in black only nodded slightly in return.

It was only seconds before they launched their next string of attacks, kicking and then countering, punching and then blocking. The assassin wasn't practicing a traditional karate style on him at all. His balance was much faster paced and fluid, always moving at any given moment.

Either way, Tommy was losing precious time and had to end this fight now. He stepped back two steps before leaping into the air, his fist poised to punch. The assailant went to block high. Tommy smiled as he rotated his frame, bringing his leg around to devastate the man's now unprotected flank.

However, at the last second something went horribly wrong. The man went limp as Tommy came at him grabbing his leg and rolling with it, sending Tommy crashing to the ground with his leg pinned in a vice grip hold. The assassin had an easy victory in his hands capable of breaking Tommy's ankle at any second.

Instead, the assassin let go and stood up.

Tommy scooted a few paces away. "I don't get it, you had me. How did you see that coming?"

The assassin reached up and pulled his mask up. "Tommy you've been using that move on me since you learned it back in high school, it's not that hard to counter."

Tears washed up as emotion overwhelmed Tommy upon looking at the familiar face. "Zack? How did you survive?"

The two hugged fiercely before Zack finally broke it off laughing. "I climbed down into the sewer to escape the blast. The fall or the water damage messed up my communicator. I got back to the lab and waited and waited, but you guys never returned. After a while I noticed that the RADBUG was putting out a distress signal on one of Billy's screens so I followed it here."

Tommy told Zack about what he and the other rangers had been up to and about their escape plan.

"Is there anything else I can do," Zack asked.

"Lay low for now and be in position tomorrow to strike."

They shook hands one last time before looking at the unconscious guards. Zack knelt beside one of them checking their pulse. "What do we do about these two?"

Tommy dusted himself off. "I'll just explain what happens when you piss off a power ranger."

Zack stood. "And face further rebuking from Bulk and Skull? That's not a good idea."

Tommy bent over and started dragging the guards into the elevator. "It'll have to do unless you have any better ideas."

"One."

Before Tommy could ask, he heard the sharp clatter of a tazer sparking to life and felt the icy hot numbness as something stabbed into his neck lighting his nerves on fire. He jerked to the ground shaking and looking up as he watched Zack taze him one more time before darkness washed over him.


End file.
